2021 Bradley Hospital Free the Future

Small Groups Make a Big Difference

We’ve all heard the saying “there is safety and strength in numbers.” At the heart of that sentiment is the acknowledgment that individuals aren’t always best served by going it alone. In many cases, it’s the support of others that helps individuals realize their greatest success or get through their toughest time.

Bradley Hospital embraces a similar philosophy when it comes to its group programs: outpatient services that provide comprehensive mental health evaluation and treatment for children, adolescents, and families from southern New England and beyond.

The Yost family of Swansea, Massachusetts, is but one example.

Back in 2018, Carter Yost, then eight years old, was diagnosed with ADHD and social anxiety disorder. His mom, Stephanie, desperate to get her son the care he needed, turned to Bradley for help after seeing an article about their group programs in a local newspaper.

“We enrolled in Bradley’s iFriend program and the entire experience was amazing,” Stephanie recalls. iFriend is a social skills group for elementary school children, ages 8 to 11. The 10-week program helps kids develop friendship skills, learn how to converse better with peers, and cope with frustration. It also teaches parents strategies to help their children integrate social skills into daily life at home, school, and play.

“Certain treatments—including those that address interpersonal issues or discomfort in social settings—are better delivered in small group sessions rather than one-on-one with a therapist,” explains Karyn Horowitz, MD, Chief Medical Officer, Bradley Hospital, and Director of Child Outpatient Psychiatry, Lifespan. “The goal of iFriend is for children, like Carter, to become more socially competent and confident—and they need peer-to-peer interaction to make that happen.” Dr. Horowitz adds that iFriend has helped more than one child make their first friend. “That might seem small on the surface,” she says, “but it’s huge in terms of a child’s development.”

Stephanie agrees. “Carter always struggled in social situations and found it very difficult to talk to others,” she explains. “If we went to the beach or the park, he would never leave my side to go play with other kids or interact with anyone. But because of what he learned in iFriend, he has made great strides.” One example, Stephanie shares, was on a family vacation to Myrtle Beach last year when Carter, on his own, walked up to a small group of kids he didn’t know at a park and asked if he could play with them. “That never would have happened before iFriend,” mom says. Also, Carter always wanted to learn karate, but never signed up because he couldn’t get past the anxiety of dealing with other kids in class.

“Well, now he’s a brown belt!” Stephanie proudly exclaims. Milestones like those Carter achieved are brought to fruition at Bradley through a combination of evidence-based therapies and a strong belief that parent/ family participation in treatment is essential to ensure best outcomes. “A child might be with us for an hour or two a week, but they’re with their parents for the rest of their lives,” Dr. Horowitz points out. “So, it’s critical that we support the whole family and educate parents on the same curriculum that we’re providing to their children. This way, parents can continually help their child develop their social skills and put what they’ve learned in the program into action.”

Stephanie says she is grateful for her family’s Bradley experience. “It gave Carter an opportunity to be in an element where he didn’t have to worry about performing. He wasn’t going to be ‘wrong’ and everyone understood him because they were in the same boat. For me, as a parent, it helped me understand my child better and enabled me to help him long-term. It built a lifetime foundation of skills and support that we can both draw from.”